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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Vatican City, 22 January 2014 (VIS) –
Pope Francis dedicated the catechesis of this Wednesday's general
audience to the Prayer Week for Christian Unity, which ends next
Saturday, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. It is a spiritual
initiative in which Christian communities have participated for over
one hundred years, and is a time dedicated to prayer for the unity of
all baptised persons, in accordance with Christ's will “that they
may all be one”. Every year an ecumenical group from one region in
the world, under the guidance of the Ecumenical Council of Churches
and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, suggests
the theme and prepares the activities for the Prayer Week. This year
the initiatives will be prepared by the Churches and Ecclesiastical
Communities of Canada, who have proposed the question posed by St.
Paul to the Christians of Corinth: “Is Christ divided?”

“No, Christ is not divided”, said
the Holy Father. “But we must recognise sincerely, although with
suffering, that our communities continue to experience divisions,
which are a scandal. There is no other word for it: the divisions
between Christians are a scandal”. Evoking the words of St. Paul,
he added, “Each one of you is saying, 'I am of Paul', and 'I of
Apollos', and 'I of Cephas', and 'I of Christ'. Even those who named
Christ as their leader were not applauded by Paul, because they used
Christ's name to separate themselves from others within the Christian
community. But the name of Christ creates communion and unity, not
division! Baptism and the Cross are central elements in our common
Christian discipleship. Divisions, on the other hand, weaken the
credibility and effectiveness of our commitment to evangelization”.

In his Letter, the Apostle rebukes the
Corinthians for their divisions, but also gives thanks to the Lord
because the community has been enriched in Jesus Christ, “in all
speech and all knowledge”. “These words are not a simple
formality, but rather the sign that first and foremost he sees God's
gifts to the community, for which he is sincerely joyful. In spite of
the suffering of divisions, which unfortunately persist to this day,
we welcome Paul's words as an invitation to rejoice sincerely in the
grace conceded by God to other Christians. We have experienced the
same baptism, the same Holy Spirit has bestowed grace upon us, so let
us rejoice!”.

“It is good to recognise the grace
with which God blesses us and, moreover, to find in other Christians
something which we need, something we can receive as a gift from our
brothers and sisters”, continued the Bishop of Rome. The Canadian
group which has prepared this Prayer Week has not invited the
communities to think about what they might give to their Christian
neighbours, but rather has exhorted us to encounter one another to
understand what all communities can receive from time to time from
the others. This requires something more. It requires humility,
reflection and continual conversion. Let us follow this path, praying
for Christian unity and an end to this scandal”, he concluded.

Vatican City, 22 January 2014 (VIS) –
After his catechesis, the Pope commented that an international
Conference in support of peace in Syria opens in Montreux,
Switzerland today, to be followed by the Geneva II Peace negotiations
which will begin on 24 January.

“I pray that the Lord may touch the
hearts of all so that, seeking together the greater good of the
Syrian population, so sorely troubled, they may spare no efforts in
urgently bringing to an end the violence in this conflict that has
already caused too much suffering. I hope that the dear Syrian nation
may embark on a decisive path towards reconciliation, concordance and
restructuring with the participation of all citizens, so that each
person may regard his peers not as enemies or competitors, but rather
as brothers to be welcomed and embraced”.

Vatican City, 22 January 2014 (VIS) –
In his greetings in various languages, the Pope, addressing the
Arab-speaking faithful – especially those from Egypt – said, “May
faith be not a reason for division but rather an instrument of unity
and communion with God and with our brothers. May the invocation of
the name of the Lord be not a reason for closure but rather a a way
to open the heart to the love that unites and enriches”.

He also greeted, in Italian, the
participants in the Meeting of Regional Co-ordinators of the
Apostolate of the Sea, exhorting them to “be the voice of those
workers who live far from their loved ones and face dangerous
situations and troubles”.

Vatican City, 22 January 2014 (VIS) –
The participants in the 44th World Economic Forum, to be held in
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, have received a message from Pope
Francis, in which he invites the Heads of State, economists and
businesspeople attending the meeting to approach economics from an
inclusive perspective, taking into account the dignity of every human
person and the common good. The Pope also manifested his hope that
this encounter may represent an opportunity for in-depth reflection
on the causes of the economic crisis that has gripped the world
during recent years.

The 2014 edition of the annual meeting
of the World Economic Forum will be attended by 40 heads of State and
Government and more than 2,500 other participants from around 100
countries, 1,500 of whom are business leaders from the thousand
companies that make up the Forum, as well as representatives of
international organisations, civil society, the media, education and
arts.

Published below is the Pope's message
to Klaus Schwab, executive president of the World Economic Forum,
which was read by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of
the Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace”.

“I am very grateful for your kind
invitation to address the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum,
which, as is customary, will be held at Davos-Klosters at the end of
this month. Trusting that the meeting will provide an occasion for
deeper reflection on the causes of the economic crisis affecting the
world these past few years, I would like to offer some considerations
in the hope that they might enrich the discussions of the Forum and
make a useful contribution to its important work.

“Ours is a time of notable changes
and significant progress in different areas which have important
consequences for the life of humanity. In fact, 'we must praise the
steps being taken to improve people’s welfare in areas such as
health care, education and communications' (Evangelii Gaudium, 52),
in addition to many other areas of human activity, and we must
recognize the fundamental role that modern business activity has had
in bringing about these changes, by stimulating and developing the
immense resources of human intelligence. Nonetheless, the successes
which have been achieved, even if they have reduced poverty for a
great number of people, often have led to a widespread social
exclusion. Indeed, the majority of the men and women of our time
still continue to experience daily insecurity, often with dramatic
consequences.

“In the context of your meeting, I
wish to emphasize the importance that the various political and
economic sectors have in promoting an inclusive approach which takes
into consideration the dignity of every human person and the common
good. I am referring to a concern that ought to shape every political
and economic decision, but which at times seems to be little more
than an afterthought. Those working in these sectors have a precise
responsibility towards others, particularly those who are most frail,
weak and vulnerable. It is intolerable that thousands of people
continue to die every day from hunger, even though substantial
quantities of food are available, and often simply wasted. Likewise,
we cannot but be moved by the many refugees seeking minimally
dignified living conditions, who not only fail to find hospitality,
but often, tragically, perish in moving from place to place. I know
that these words are forceful, even dramatic, but they seek both to
affirm and to challenge the ability of this assembly to make a
difference. In fact, those who have demonstrated their aptitude for
being innovative and for improving the lives of many people by their
ingenuity and professional expertise can further contribute by
putting their skills at the service of those who are still living in
dire poverty.

“What is needed, then, is a renewed,
profound and broadened sense of responsibility on the part of all.
'Business is - in fact - a vocation, and a noble vocation, provided
that those engaged in it see themselves challenged by a greater
meaning in life' (Evangelii Gaudium, 203). Such men and women are
able to serve more effectively the common good and to make the goods
of this world more accessible to all. Nevertheless, the growth of
equality demands something more than economic growth, even though it
presupposes it. It demands first of all 'a transcendent vision of the
person' (Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 11), because 'without the
perspective of eternal life, human progress in this world is denied
breathing-space' (ibid.). It also calls for decisions, mechanisms and
processes directed to a better distribution of wealth, the creation
of sources of employment and an integral promotion of the poor which
goes beyond a simple welfare mentality.

“I am convinced that from such an
openness to the transcendent a new political and business mentality
can take shape, one capable of guiding all economic and financial
activity within the horizon of an ethical approach which is truly
humane. The international business community can count on many men
and women of great personal honesty and integrity, whose work is
inspired and guided by high ideals of fairness, generosity and
concern for the authentic development of the human family. I urge you
to draw upon these great human and moral resources and to take up
this challenge with determination and far-sightedness. Without
ignoring, naturally, the specific scientific and professional
requirements of every context, I ask you to ensure that humanity is
served by wealth and not ruled by it.

“Dear Mr Chairman and friends: I hope
that you may see in these brief words a sign of my pastoral concern
and a constructive contribution to help your activities to be ever
more noble and fruitful. I renew my best wishes for a successful
meeting, as I invoke divine blessings on you and the participants of
the Forum, as well as on your families and all your work”.

Vatican City, 22 January 2014 (VIS) –
The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi,
today communicated that the Holy See has been invited to participate
in the Geneva II International Conference on Syria, which will take
place in Montreux, Switzerland, from 22 to 23 January. The delegation
is made up of Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, representative of the Holy
See before the United Nations Office and Specialised Institutions in
Geneva and Msgr. Alberto Ortega Martin from the secretariat of State.